Earth drilling apparatus with cable operated drive

ABSTRACT

An earth drilling apparatus for use with a basic hoisting machine, the apparatus having a carriage slidably mounted on a guide member, a drum rotatably mounted in the carriage and operably connected through a gear and clutch unit to an auger, and a weight connected to a cable frictionally engaging the drum and secured to the powered drum mounted on the hoisting machine, wherein upon the reeling of the cable onto the powered drum the frictional engagement of the cable with the drum causes the drum to rotate which in turn causes the auger to rotate.

United States Patent 1191 Ward 1451 Aug. 28, 1973 EARTH DRILLING APPARATUS WITH CABLE OPERATED DRIVE Primary Examiner-Emest R. Purser [76] Inventor: James s. Ward, 963 Crestridge Rd.,

Omaha, Nebr. [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 197R [57] ABSTRACT An earth dr1llmg apparatus for use w1th a basic hoisting FN- 9 machine, the apparatus having a carriage slidably mounted on a guide member, a drum rotatably s21 U.S. c1. 173/145, 173/163 in mia8e and Perably f s1 1 Int. Cl. E2lb 3/02 hmugh a and dutch and a [58] meld of Search 173/145, 146, 147 connected to a cable frictionally engaging the drum 173/1611, 160; 175/113 114, 118, 12] and secured to the powered drum mounted on the hoisting machine, wherein upon the reeling of the cable [56] Rehnnces cued olnto t powtgrig daum the frictiorrlial :ngagement of t e ca e wi e rum causes e rum to rotate UNITED STATES PATENTS which in turn causes the auger to rotate. 454,870 6/1891 Jacksonr 173/145 472,178 4/1892 Palmer .1- 173 145 x 10 Claims, 3 Drawing g Patented Aug. 28, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|

INVENTOR.

JAMES S. WARD ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAMES S. WARD FIG.3

zguw/jz ATTORNEYS EARTH DRILLING APPARATUS WITH CABLE OPERATED DRIVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The screw auger has long been a means used for drilling a hole in the ground, the principle applied being that of a simple wedge, and effected by the turning of a shank from which projects a continuous helical rib. The process requires first the turning of the shank and secondly, since the turning causes the auger to penetrate or advance into the medium being drilled, a longitudinal force along the axis of the shank to withdraw the auger from the hole drilled. It has generally been the practice to mechanically connect a power source to the upper end of the shank to obtain the required torque, the power source being either directly connected thereto and thus moving up and down with the auger, or being disposed on an independent framework and requiring some linkage means which would allow the relative movement of the auger. Another arrangement which is commonly used combines a hydraulic or air driven motor integrally connected to the top of the auger shaft, with a fluidly connected compressor and associated engine, thus requiring the'use of two motors for the sole purpose of providing the auger torque.

The longitudinal force for withdrawal of the auger is necessarily exerted from a point above the augers upper end, and depending on the length of the auger and the depth of the hole, this point may be a substantial height. Generally, a derrick provides the required height, the vertical motion being provided by either pivoting the derrick jib about its lowerend or by the fairleading of a cable over a sheave in the upper end of the jib, either of which requires a substantial power source. Since no downward force need be applied to the auger, this power source remains substantially idle,

' single motor auger device which is easily adapted for use with a basic machine and whichis simple and effective in use. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to an auger device and more particularly to a device adaptable to be removably attached to the jib of an existing basic hoisting machine, wherein the combination is employed for drilling holes, the only power applied being that which is normally available in the basic machine. The device comprises'a vertical track on which is slidably disposed a horizontal rotatable drum, the drum having mechanically connected thereto in series an overriding clutch, a 90 gear drive, and a vertically disposed auger. The upper end of the track is secured to-the jib of a standard derrick, and the hoist line is passed from the main power drum over a sheave in the jib end, around the drum, and its end secured to a weight hanging below the drum. Rotation of the auger is accomplished by the tightening of the hoist line to pick up the weight. As the cable is raised, it frictionally engages the drum causing it to rotate and turn the auger throughthe 90 gear drive. The drum is free to slide downward as the auger advances into the ground and continues to rotate until the weight reaches its bottom mounting. The hoist line is then slackened, the overriding clutch allows the drum to turn freely, and the weight is lowered to a position wherein the cycle may be repeated until the drilling is completed. Upon completion of a hole, the hoist line is raised to the point wherein the weight is directly under the drum, and further hoisting raises the drum, gear train, and auger to a desired height where the combination may be moved to a new location.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus in earth drilling equipment.

Another object of this invention is the provision for an auger apparatus which is adaptable to be used in combination with a basic hoisting machine.

Still another object of this invention is the provision for an auger apparatus which utilizes the power of a hoist line'on standard hoisting equipment as the sole means of power to rotate a screw auger.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision in an auger device for converting straight line pull into torques for turning a screw auger.

A further object of this invention is the provision in an auger'device for obviating the reversal of the direction of rotation of the screw auger.

Still another object of this invention is the provision for an auger apparatuswhich requires a minimum number of motors and operators. I

Another object of this invention is the provision for an auger device which is economical to manufacture and which is simple, economical, and extremely functional in use.

These objects and other features and advantages become more readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

Inthe drawings, as hereinafter described, a preferred embodiment is depicted; however, various other modifications and alternate constructions can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventionas used in combination with a basic hoisting machine. FIG. 2 is a top view of the carriage portion of the preferred embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view thereof as seen along the lines 33 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED v EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a reciprocal pull screw auger generally at 10 in FIG. I as it would be installed on a basic hoisting machine I 1 such as a derrick or the like. The hoisting machine 11 comprises a chassis 12 in which is rotatably mounted a main power drum 13, a jib l4 pivotally secured at one end 16 to the chassis l2 and having its upper end 17 extending freely upward, and a hoisting cable 18 windably secured on the main power drum l3 and extending over a sheave l9 rotatably disposed near the upper end 17 of the jib 14, the end 21 of the hoisting cable 18 being suspended below the jib end 17 and adaptable for securing to heavy loads for hoisting. A second hoisting cable 22 is similarly attached to the main power drum 13 extends over a second sheave 23 rotatably disposed at the jib end 17 and hangs downwardly parallel to the first hoisting cable 18, with its free end 24 also adaptable for securing to heavy loads for hoisting. The hoisting cable 18 and the second hoisting cable 22 may be raised or lowered independently or simultaneously by the operation of the single power drum 13.

The reciprocal pull screw auger (FIG. 1) is detachably mounted to the jib 14 of the hoisting machine 11 and comprises a guide member 26, a carriage 27 slidably disposed on the guide member 26, a rotatable cable drum 28 (FIG. 2) horizontally disposed on the carriage 27, a clutch 29, gear drive 31, a rotatable auger 32 (FIG. 1), mechanically connected in series to the drum 28, and a weight 33 secured to the end of the hoist cable 18.

The guide member 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is an elongate, vertically-disposed I-beam suspended froma point 34 near the end of the jib 14 by a suspension cable 36 secured to the guide upper end 37. A nonflexible member may be installed in place of the suspension cable or the guide upper end 37 may be directly secured to the jib at a point 34. The lower end 38 of the guide member 26 may or may not contact the ground 39; however, if the guide upper end 37 is not rigidly secured to the jib 14, then it is necessary that the guide 26 be prevented from rotating on its vertical axis, a function which the ground contact would properly serve. The embodiment in FIG. 1 employs a telescopic stabilizer 41 secured at its ends 42 and 43 to the guide 26 and jib l4 respectively. This stabilizer allows the guide 26 to remain off the ground 39 so that it may be easily pivoted away from the hole being drilled, and the auger 32 to be cleaned at regular intervals. The stabilizer 41 may be hydraulically acutated, wherein when the guide upper end 37 is rigidly secured to the jib 14, the guide 26 may be canted for drilling batters.

The carriage 27 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is a rectangular .boxlike structure having sides 43, 44, 46 and 47- with an open top 48 and bottom 49. Externally mounted on side 43 proximate the ends of sides 44 and 47 are a pair of spaced vertical angle irons 51 having one side 52 projecting normally outwardly, contiguous with the vertical edges 53 and 54 of the guide wall 56, each side 52 having rotatably secured thereto and projecting normally and inwardly therefrom, an upper 58and a lower 59 pair of rollers, rollably engaged to either side of the guide wall 56 and providing a sliding connection between carriage 27 and guide member 26.

The carriage 27 houses the horizontal cable drum 28, an overriding clutch 29 and a gear drive 31, the three being mechanically connected in series and extending between the walls 43 and 46 in a horizontal plane substantially in the center of the carriage 27. The horizontal cable drum 28 is integrally mounted on a shaft 62, the shaft having one end 63 disposed near the wall 43 and its other end 64 mechanically secured to the clutch 29, the support of the shaft 62 being provided by a pair of standard bearings 66 on either side of the drum 28, each mounted on an inverted U-shaped support bar 67 extending between walls 44 and 47 and secured thereto. The hoisting cable 18 extends downwardly from above and two turns are taken around the periphery of the cable drum 28, the other end 21 extending downwardly below the drum 28. A movement of the cable 18 upwardly or downwardly causes the drum 28 to be frictionally engaged and rotated, thereby rotating shaft 62 within the bearings 66. The overriding clutch 29 which is secured to the shaft end 64 allows the shaft 62 to turn freely when the cable 18 moves downwardly but engages when the cable 18 moves upwardly, wherein the output end 68 turns with the shaft 62. A transverse bar 69, secured on its ends to the walls 44 and 47, provides a support for the clutch which is secured thereto. Connected to the clutch output end 68 is an input shaft 71 of a gear train comprising a pair of one-to-one ratio, meshing bevel gears 72 rotatably disposed in a housing 73, the housing 73 being vertically supported by a plate 74 projecting normally from the carriage wall 46 and secured thereto. The gear train output shaft 76 extends vertically downward through the carriage bottom 49 and is on its end by a universal joint 77 to a torque shaft 78. On the other end of the torque shaft 78 is secured the auger 32, which is rotatably engagable with the ground. A shaft guide 79 (FIG. 1) is disposed at the lower end of the torque shaft 78, its one end 81 secured the guide and its other end 82 disposed around the torque shaft 78.

The hoisting cable 18 extending downwardly from the horizontal drum 28 (FIGS. 1 and 3) passes through sheaves 83 and 84 rotatably secured to the weight 33 and carriage 27 respectively, and then extends downwardly and is secured at its end 21 to the weight 33. The sheaves are not necessary, but provide for a shorter movement of the weight 33 which is slidably secured to the guide 26.

In actual operation, the jib 14 is moved so as to place the auger 32 over a point where a hole is to be drilled, and the auger 32 is lowered to the ground. The hoisting cable 18 is lowered, thereby lowering the weight 33 relative to the carriage 27, the clutch 29 allowing the shaft 62 to turn freely as the drum 28 is rotated. The cable 18 is then raised, raising also the weight 33, and the drum 28 is rotated by the frictional engagement of the cable 18. Rotation of the drum 28 in this direction engages the clutch which caused the 90 gear train to operate and hence the auger 32 to rotate and advance into the ground 39. When the weight 33 reaches the height of the carriage the weight is again lowered and the process is repeated as many times as is necessary. The hoisting cable 18 may be raised beyond the point where the weight engages the bottom of the carriage 27, or the second hoisting cable 22 may be raised to raise the auger 32 out of the ground for the purpose of cleaning oh" the excess dirt.

I claim:

1. An earth drilling apparatus comprising:

a jib having an upstanding free end;

a power drum including power means disposed adjacent said jib;

a hoisting cable operably secured on one end to said power drum with the free end of said cable extending over said jib free end and depending therebelow;

stabilizing means attached to said jib;

a guide member supported by said stabilizing means in an upright position;

a carriage slidably disposed on said guide means;

a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage and having its axis disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said guide means with said cable wrapped at least one turnaround said drum thus frictionally engaging said drum, said cable free end extending below said drum;

gear means operably connected to said drum;

clutch means mechanically mounted between said drum and said gear means, said clutch means operable to permit said gear means to operatively disengage from said drum when said drum rotates in one direction and to operatively engage said drum when said drum counter rotates to said one direction;

an auger operatively connected to said gear means and depending therefrom; and

a weight secured to said cable free end and suspended below said drum;

wherein when said power drum is operated to reel in said cable said weight is drawn to said drum thus causing said drum to counter rotate by said frictional engagement of said cable therewith and said counter rotation of said drum is transmitted through said gear means to rotate said auger.

2. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said clutch means is an overriding clutch.

3. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said weight is slidably mounted on said guide means.

4. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a second hoist cable secured at one end to said carriage and at its other end to the power drum with its intermediate portion running over a sheave mounted on the jib, said second cable provided to raise and lower said carriage.

5. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing means includes a line secured between jib and said guide means and a telescopic boom secured between said guide means and jib.

6. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including a first sheave rotatably mounted in said carriage and a second sheave rotatably secured to said weight and the free end of the hoist cable extends from said drum over said second sheave then over said first sheave and then to said weight.

7. An earth drilling apparatus comprising:

a jib having an upstanding free end; I

a power drum including power means disposed adjacent said jib;

a pair of cables operably secured on one end to said power drum, with the free end of said cables extending over said jib free end and depending therebelow;

stabilizing means attached to said jib;

a guide member supported by said stabilizing means in an upright position under said jib free end;

a carriage slidably disposed on said guide means and suspended below said jib free end on one of said cables, wherein said one cable can raise and lower said carriage on said guide means;

a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage and having its axis disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said guide means with said other cable wrapped at least one turn around said drum with said other cable free end depending from said drum;

gear means operably connected to said drum;

clutch means mechanically secured between said drum and said gear means, said clutch means operable to permit said gear means to disengage from said drum when said drum rotates in one direction and to engage said drum when said drum counter rotates to said one direction;

an auger operatively connected to said gear means and depending therefrom; and

a weight secured to said other cable free end and sus pended below said drum;

wherein when said power drum is operated to reel in said other cable said weight is drawn to said drum by the frictional engagement of said other cable therewith, thus causing said drum to counter rotate which in turn causes said auger to rotate, and when said other cable is allowed to reel out from said power drum said weight is lowered and by frictional engagement of said other cable with said drum said drum rotates in said one direction.

8. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said weight is slidably mounted on said guide means. a

9. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said stabilizing means includes a line secured between said jib and said guide means and a telescopic boom secured between said guide means and said jib.

10. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 and including a first sheave rotatably mounted in said carriage and a second sheave rotatably secured to said weight and the free end of said other cable extends from said drum over said second sheave then over said first sheave and then to said weight.

# l II! 

1. An earth drilling apparatus comprising: a jib having an upstanding free end; a power drum including power means disposed adjacent said jib; a hoisting cable operably secured on one end to said power drum with the free end of said cable extending over said jib free end and depending therebelow; stabilizing means attached to said jib; a guide member supported by said stabilizing means in an upright position; a carriage slidably disposed on said guide means; a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage and having its axis disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said guide means with said cable wrapped at least one turn around said drum thus frictionally engaging said drum, said cable free end extending below said drum; gear means operably connected to said drum; clutch means mechanically mounted between said drum and said gear means, said clutch means operable to permit said gear means to operatively disengage from said drum when said drum rotates in one direction and to operatively engage said drum when said drum counter rotates to said one direction; an auger operatively connected to said gear means and depending therefrom; and a weight secured to said cable free end and suspended below said drum; wherein when said power drum is operated to reel in said cable said weight is drawn to said drum thus causing said drum to counter rotate by said frictional engagement of said cable therewith and said counter rotation of said drum is transmitted through said gear means to rotate said auger.
 2. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said clutch means is an overriding clutch.
 3. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said weight is slidably mounted on said guide means.
 4. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a second hoist cable secured at one end to said carriage and at its other end to the power drum with its intermediate portion running over a sheave mounted on the jib, said second cable provided to raise and lower said carriage.
 5. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing means includes a line secured between jib and said guide means and a telescopic boom secured between said guide means and jib.
 6. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including a first sheave rotatably mounted in said carriage and a Second sheave rotatably secured to said weight and the free end of the hoist cable extends from said drum over said second sheave then over said first sheave and then to said weight.
 7. An earth drilling apparatus comprising: a jib having an upstanding free end; a power drum including power means disposed adjacent said jib; a pair of cables operably secured on one end to said power drum, with the free end of said cables extending over said jib free end and depending therebelow; stabilizing means attached to said jib; a guide member supported by said stabilizing means in an upright position under said jib free end; a carriage slidably disposed on said guide means and suspended below said jib free end on one of said cables, wherein said one cable can raise and lower said carriage on said guide means; a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage and having its axis disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said guide means with said other cable wrapped at least one turn around said drum with said other cable free end depending from said drum; gear means operably connected to said drum; clutch means mechanically secured between said drum and said gear means, said clutch means operable to permit said gear means to disengage from said drum when said drum rotates in one direction and to engage said drum when said drum counter rotates to said one direction; an auger operatively connected to said gear means and depending therefrom; and a weight secured to said other cable free end and suspended below said drum; wherein when said power drum is operated to reel in said other cable said weight is drawn to said drum by the frictional engagement of said other cable therewith, thus causing said drum to counter rotate which in turn causes said auger to rotate, and when said other cable is allowed to reel out from said power drum said weight is lowered and by frictional engagement of said other cable with said drum said drum rotates in said one direction.
 8. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said weight is slidably mounted on said guide means.
 9. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said stabilizing means includes a line secured between said jib and said guide means and a telescopic boom secured between said guide means and said jib.
 10. An earth drilling apparatus as defined in claim 7 and including a first sheave rotatably mounted in said carriage and a second sheave rotatably secured to said weight and the free end of said other cable extends from said drum over said second sheave then over said first sheave and then to said weight. 